


Case Study: Dirk Strider

by gregthepaladin



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-01
Updated: 2012-05-01
Packaged: 2017-11-04 15:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/395484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gregthepaladin/pseuds/gregthepaladin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Confidential psychological assestment of Mr. Dirk Strider. Not for public release under any circumstances -Dr. Sophie Daniels, Mental Health Supervisor</p>
            </blockquote>





	Case Study: Dirk Strider

**Author's Note:**

> I have always been a fan of Marvel's [Psych Ward](http://marvel.com/news/story/4343/psych_ward_cyclops) columns; a real PsyD writes notes as if a comic book character were a real client of theirs, in for therapy. I am such a fan, in fact, I am stealing the format outright (though I am not a PsyD myself and have only taken a couple psych classes, much as anyone else has).
> 
> Up first: Mr. Dirk Strider. Let's take a look at Dr. Daniels' notes.

Dirk Strider is an adolescent male, appearing to be in excellent physical health. The client's body language and demeanor presents him as intensely measured. No aspect of his speech, movement or expression appears to be accidental or unplanned. Seemingly as a result of this and his isolation, the client presents no hint of vocal accent whatsoever, despite having spent his entire life in a part of Texas renowned for heavily southern dialect.

Mr. Strider was discovered by the state living completely alone early last year. His living conditions are advanced and self-sustaining. He claims to live "off the grid," as a precaution against a figure he refers to as "The Condesce," known from prior sessions as a influential and cruel political figure in Sburb. He says his dwellings were constructed by his "bro" David, but no records of such a figure exist. Strider claims David passed away before his birth, and when asked how he knows about his brother, he mentions "documents" he refuses to share.

In raising himself, Strider developed an undeniably impressive skillset including a deep knowledge of robotics, lyrical poetry and martial arts. The breadth of his abilities are currently unknown, but the client has shown a natural adaptive ability for nearly any challenge presented to him.

When asked about himself, Mr. Strider believed he had an excellent grasp of his own psychology, admitting to being "intensely reserved" and "occasionally arrogant" but firmly believing beyond this, his mental health was ideal. He claimed to recognize every one of his "disappointing aspects," even going so far as to claim that he is "compensating" for each of them, but it is this writer's opinion Strider overstates his own understanding of his own mind. While he does not present as a direct and current danger to himself or others, further sessions will be required to understand the extent of his disorders and complexes.

Regardless, it is the opinion of this writer that Mr. Strider's issues obviously go far deeper than reservation and arrogance. He consistently exhibits grandiose delusions, megalomania and medium to severe sociopathic tendencies, often speaking of others as lesser than himself. The writer believes many of these issues are the result of his isolated living conditions and self-sufficiency, primarily never experiencing contact with others during vital stages of development. 

Particular evidence of this is his relationship with Jake English, another client who has experienced Sburb Phenomenon. When asked about Mr. English, Mr. Strider seemed reluctant to discuss the topic at length. He said "I will send you some Pesterlogs" and changed the subject. While the writer has no way of knowing if the logs sent are undoctored or a complete record of conversations with Mr. English, other logs provided by clients involved _(See files Jane Crocker, Roxy Lalonde, Jake English)_ prove Strider had set in motion a plot to win the affection of Mr. English. By seeding information to parties and selectively, subtly manipulating only a few involved directly, he was able to indirectly achieve his desired outcome while masking any traces of his own involvement beyond known intention. 

This displays Mr. Strider has an excellent understanding of the human mind and impressive foresight, but also shows he will not hesitate to control and manipulate people in order to achieve his goals. When presented with the idea that his actions may constitute manipulation, Strider agreed they did and saw no negativity in this. He believes he is better equipped to handle not only issues regarding Sburb but personal issues of everyone he interacts with directly. He has no understanding of societal bounds or privacy, and does not understand why others would object to being influenced by the client so long as it leads to a more positive outcome. This may present as evidence of megalomania. 

On the subject of his sexuality, Strider claimed he did not want to discuss it. When pressed, he claimed it wouldn't provide the writer with any insight to his actions or mind. For the benefit of preserving the therapeutic relationship, the writer chose not to continue the line of questioning. 

When asked about his general mood, the client claimed he was "perfectly content." When asked about the pressures of Sburb and related events, the client claimed to be "handling it fine." The writer believes Strider is suppressing an emotional response to the events in order to retain control of the situation, others and himself. 

Like all who have experienced Sburb Phenomenon, Strider has a "dream self." His is on the "Dersite world" and had infrequent contact with other clients' dream selves of Derse. Interestingly and uniquely however, the client claims he does not sleep, and as such, is conscious of both his waking and dream selves at all times. This seems to be an extension of his control complexes. It is this writer's opinion that Strider believes himself to be so vital to the events of reality and Sburb that to rest for even a moment in either world would invite opportunities for failure, which the client considers unacceptable. 

When asked to create goals to work toward in terms of behavior, Mr. Strider became upset and implied he saw no problem with himself that was not already compensated for. When presented with the idea of lessening the need for control over all sitautions, Strider claimed that was "a dangerous road to walk" and letting others make important decisions would lead to "unpleasant outcomes for everyone involved." 

_At this time, the writer can only recommend continued frequent Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It is the goal of this therapy to expose Mr. Strider to the new social systems he finds himself in, lessen or alleviate his narcissistic personality disorders and control complexes, and to gain a deeper understanding of Sburb Phenomenon. Dirk Strider's next appointment is scheduled three days from now, continuing therapy with Dr. Sophie Daniels._

**Author's Note:**

> I may end up doing a case study for several characters, who experienced "Sburb Phenomenon," an event wherein several people, independent of each other, reported knowledge of a nonexistant "world-ending game" with incredibly consistent details between stories.
> 
> Surely I have completely fucked up various aspects of psychology, therapy and psychiatry and apologize if this offends anyone. Consider it a combination of artistic liberty and an admiration for the human mind.


End file.
